Vertical rolling mill



Nov. 13, 1951 Filed March J. M. OMALLEY VERTICAL ROLLING MILL 2 SHEETS-SHEET l A 7 TOR/v5 Y Nov. l13, 1951 J. M. -o'MALLEY VERTICAL ROLLING MILL Filed March 27, 1946 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 IN VEN TOR.

l dou-PH A/lf/ OMQLLEI/ BY @awr/@Z A77' RNE Y Patented Nov. 13, 1951 VERTICAL ROLLING MILL Joseph M. OMalley, Worcester, Mass., assigner to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March 27, 1946, Serial No. 657,486

8 Claims.

This invention relates to vertical rolling mills, and more particularly to mills of the type having multiple-grooved rolls and provision for moving the rolls vertically in order to bring selected grooves into position for operation upon the stock as it travels longitudinally along a horizontal path.

It is one object of the invention to provide a comparatively simple and dependable vertical rolling mill constructed to permit an extensive vertical adjustment of the rolls while maintaining an eflicient driving connection between the rolls and a source of power.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vertical rolling mill so constructed and arranged that the rolls may be adjusted through a wide range not only vertically to utilize various sets of roll grooves but also horizontally to operate upon bars of various widths, all without interfering with the driving of the rolls.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vertical rolling mill so constructed and arranged as to facilitate the removal and replace ment of the rolls.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals include like parts,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a vertical rolling mill, the section being taken on the line I-I of Fig.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in section showing a portion of the roll-driving mechanism; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the mill, taken in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a section taken on the line 1--1 of Fig. 5.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a fixed main housing l0 of the open top type. including four upright posts I I arranged in two pairs at opposite sides of the mill pass line. The tops of the posts VI I in each pair are connected bv horizontal housing caps I2 which are releasablv secured to the posts by wedges I4. Each pair of posts II defines a main housing window l5.

A roll housing or cage I6 is slidable vertically within the windows I5. This housing comprises two vertically spaced hollow frames I8, each of generally rectangular shape to provide a window I9, these frames being integrally connected by four vertical posts 20. On one end of each frame I 8 there are provided two laterally projecting flanges 22 (Fig. 6) which engage the outer surfaces of the two adjacent main housing posts I I,

while the outer surfaces of the other two main housing posts are engaged by a horizontal clamping bar 23 secured to the adjacent roll housing posts 2U by bolts 24. Within each of the roll housing windows I9 there are slidably mounted two bearings 26 for the roll necks 21 of two grooved vertical rolls 28. These bearings are arranged to be adjusted by any suitable and well-known means including horizontal screws 30 mounted in the end portions of the frames I8. The bearings 23 are constructed to receive radial loads only, and the weight of the rolls is carried by suitable thrust bearings 3| at the upper ends of the rolls.

At some distance below the rolls there is provided a driving mechanism comprising a gear housing 33 which encloses a pair of intermeshing vertical pinions 34. One of these pinions has a downwardly extending shaft 35 on which there is mounted a bevel gear 3l, this gear being driven by a bevel pinion 38 carried by a horizontal shaft 39. Each pinion 34 is provided with an upwardly extending shaft or neck 4I surrounded by a sleeve 42, each shaft 4I having a transverse notch 43 in its upper end shaped to provide. two opposed concave seats for a pair of thin slippers 45 having outer convex cylindrical surfaces to engage the seats. The inner surfaces of the slippers are plane, and between them is located a transverse hammer head 46 on the lower end of an upright coupling spindle 41. A similar transverse hammer head 48 is provided on the upper end of each spindle.

The spindles 41 are operatively connected to the respective rolls 26 in such a manner as to permit vertical adiustment of the roll housing is and the rolls. For this purpose a coupling bearing carrier 5.!! in the form of a hollow horizontal rectangular frame is mounted beneath the roll housing lil and arranged for vertical sliding movement in the windows I 5 oi Ir-he main housing Ill. T-slots 5I are provided in the opposite ends of the carrier to receive souare heads 52 on the upper ends of two vertical screws 54. These screws eyteud through threaded holes in worm gears 55 which are rotatably supported in casings 56 and arranged to be driven by worms (not shown) carried by a horizontal rotatable shaft 58. This shaft is driven by a reversible electric motor 59 through a chain-and-sprocket connection BIJ. The carrier is provided with an elongated window 62 forming a guideway within which two coupling bearings 63 are mounted for horizontal sliding movement in the direction of roll adjustment, these 'bearings -beingjlocated directly beneath the respective lower rollneckbearings 216. The coupling bearings 63 have laterally extending flanges 64 at their upper ends which overlap the sides of the carrier Window 62. These flanges serve to support feet which depend from the lower frame I8 of the .roll housing t6.

Thus the weight of the roll lhousing landrolls will rest upon the anges and hold the coupling `bearings 63 firmly in place to prevent `vibration. Within each coupling bearing there is mounted a coupling element Gl which rotates aboutavertical axis and serves to transmit driving torque to thefroll thereabove.

The construction of thecoupling element 61 is best shown-inFigs. T2 to 4. Each lcoupling element comprises 'an outer cylindrical sleeve 68 and an inner member 69 'tting lclosely within the sleeve, these parts 4being fastened together by welding or other suitable-means. An outwardly extending flange '-18 is provided on the upper end of the sleeve to engage "thecoupling bearing 63 and thus'support the weight of the coupling element. In the upper end of the vinner member 69 there is 'provided a cylindrical Ycounterbore 12 and a socket 13. The counterbore `f'l2 fis shaped to receive, preferably iwith aclose fit, va cylindrical extension 214 on the roll neck 21, while the socket 'I3 is shaped to receive the 'usual wabbler 15 on 4the 'lower lend of the Vroll neck. The Wabbler should nt the socket with Aa slight clearance, 'so

that the extension YVT4 will be free to align the coupling element correctlyr with the roll. Within the lower portion of 'the coupling element there is provided a vertically elongated Iguideway formed vby providing Va ltransverse slot 16 in the member '69, the slot having two opposed parallel vertical surfaces 11 which lmay be `readily Inachined before the member -59 is assembled within the sleeve 68.

Within the slot 16 there is mounted a vertically slidable member "I9 comprising two spaced vertical plates '80 having plane outer surfaces in contact with the surfaces "f1 of the s'lot. These plates are integrally connected `at their upper ends by a horizontal platel On the innersides of the plates 'there v'are `provided two opposed concave seats `lfor a pair voft-hin'slippersihaving outer convex lcylindrical surfaces to engagethe seats. The inner surfaces 'of `these slippers rare plane, and between them there is located the hammer head 480i the adjacent spindle 4l. The slippers S3 are connected to the hammer :head by a transverse pivot pin 84. With thisvfconstruction the spindle-47 has adrivingconnection-withthe coupling element 6.1 lwhich is not only vertically telescopic but also universal, since the spindle can swingr in one vertical-plane about the pin y84, the hammer head turning between .the-slippers, while movement in awvertical plane 7at righ-t angles .tothe first plane will .be Ypermitted 'by kangular sliding ofthe slippers .within .their seats.

The gear housing 33 is protected against the entrance ci waterand scale by a-cover plate having holes 81 therethrough for the spindles 4.1'. Each hole 81 is surrounded by an upstanding flange 88. A cap is mounted on each .spindle directly 'above the corresponding hole 81 each apparent 'from 'the above disclosure.

cap having a depending flange 9| which surrounds the adjacent ilange 88. For purpose of assembly the caps 90 may be made in two parts separable in an axial plane and bolted together.

The carrier 50 is preferably secured to the roll housing I6 by releasable means. For this purpose a pair of spaced ears 93 extend upwardly from Leach end of the 'carrier 'to straddleears 94 de- `pending rfrom the roll housing, the'ears having holes to receive transverse pins 95. These pins 1Afit the holes in the ears 94 very loosely, so that noneof the weight of the roll housing can rest on the pins.

VThe operation `of the invention will now be The shaft "3B 'will-be driven "by a suitable source of power, thus driving the bevel gearing 31-38 and the pinions 34. Driving torque will be transmitted from `the -pinions 34 through the spindles 48 and coupling elements 6l tothe wabblers 15 and thus to therolls 28. Since the spindles are universally connected at their opposite :ends vto the Lpinions and vto the coupling elements .respectively :by 1an arrangement of slippers and hammer heads, *the rolls may -be considerably out of line with lthe `pinions ywithout causing any trouble. The rotating coupling elements 6T are well supported 4by the bearings G3 which are held frmly against vibration 'by the weight of the 4roll housing YI6 resting on -the bearing Vfla-ngesfll. The screws'30 can be employed to adjust the rollneck bearings 2S in the roll housing windows I9, thus moving the rolls horizontallyto adjust .the width of the roll pass. During this adjustment the roll neck extensions 74, by their 4engagement vwith `the counterbores 72, will cause the rotatablecoupling elements 6l and their bearings 63 to slide hori- Zontally in the window 62 --of the carrier 50 and remain aligned with the rolls. "Ifo'bringfa different set of roll :grooves into the ,pass line, it lis merely necessary to loosen the clamp .23 'and start the motor 59 in the desired direction. This will turn the wormgears k55E-and ymove the .screws 54 vertically, raising or lowering ,the carrier 50 and theroll housing 1.8. During this movement the .coupling elements v61 will slide up or down over the members 7.9. When the -rolls have reached the desired -position the clam-p 23 will `be tightened to secure the roll housing 1.6 to :the main housing l0 and .thus prevent vibration. If a careless operator should attempt to lower the carrier 50 without rst loosening the clamp 23, the pins will prevent the carrier from .moving downwardly .away from the -roll housing.

When the rolls are to be changed, athe main housing caps I2 will be removed and the pins 95 withdrawn. The roll .housing .|.6 `can then .be lifted vertically upward out of the v-main housing VIl) by means of a crane, and another roll housing with the desired set of .rollstherei-n .may be-lowered into place. Thus only a brief shut-downof the mill will be required.

Having thus described .my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by ALetters Patent is:

1. A vertical ,rolling mill comprising va main housing, a roll housing removably mounted in .the main housing, a pair of vertical rolls in the roll housing and each .having .upper and lower necks, upper and lower .roll .neck bearings mounted .in the vroll housing to support the 4said .necks Fand adjustable .horizontally7 to ,and from one another, a .coupling bearing carrier, means mounting said bearing carrier on themainhousing .in =a position beneath rthe ,roll housing, 4said carrier Ibeing Ynentrally apertured to provide a guideway which extends horizontally in the direction of roll neck bearing adjustment, a pair of coupling bearings mounted in the carrier beneath the respective rolls and slidable horizontally along the guide- Way, a coupling element mounted within each coupling bearing and supported thereby for rotation about a vertical axis, means detachably connecting the upper ends of the coupling elements to the lower ends of the rolls to drive the same, a pair of intermeshing vertical pinions located beneath the coupling elements, and a pair of upright spindles universally connected at their lower ends to the respective pinions and at their upper ends to the respective coupling elements.

2. A vertical rolling mill as set forth in claim 1, in which the main housing is of the open top type, the roll housing is removable upwardly therefrom independently of the coupling bearing carrier, each roll has a wabbler on its lower end, and each coupling element has a socket in its upper end to receive the corresponding wabbler to drive the same.

3. A vertical rolling mill as set forth in claim 2, in which each roll has a cylindrical roll neck ex# tension immediately above its wabbler, and each coupling element has a cylindrical counterbore to receive the corresponding roll neck extension with a close sliding t.

4. A vertical rolling mill as set forth in claim 1, in which both the roll housing and the coupling bearing carrier are slidable vertically in the main housing, and vertically telescopic universal connections are provided between the upper ends of the spindles and the respective coupling elements.

5. A vertical rolling mill as set forth in claim 4. in which the lower portion of each coupling element is shaped to provide two opposed parallel vertical surfaces forming a vertically elongated guideway, there being a transverse hammer head on the upper end of each spindle located within the corresponding vertically elongated guideway, slippers located on opposite sides of each hammer head, the slippers having outer convex cylindrical surfaces, means pivotally connecting the slippers to the hammer head, and a vertical plate between each slipper and the adjacent vertical surface and in sliding engagement with said surface, each plate having a concave seat on its inner side to receive the adjacent slipper.

6. A vertical rolling mill as set forth in claim 5, in which each coupling element includes an outer cylindrical sleeve and an inner member fitting closely within the sleeve, the lower portion of the inner member having a transverse slot therein forming the specified opposed vertical surfaces.

7. A vertical rollin-g mill as set forth in claim 1, in which both the roll housing and the coupling bearing carrier are slidable vertically in the main s housing, and the weight of the roll housing rests upon the coupling bearings, means being provided to raise and lower the carrier.

8. A vertical rolling mill as set forth in claim 7, in which the coupling bearings have laterally extending iianges which slidably engage the upper surface of the carrier.

JOSEPH M. OMALLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 1ile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

